The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association announced late Tuesday it would strike Saturday, Dec. 27.
In response, Telluride Ski and Golf said it would close the resort the same day and work on a plan to safely reopen.
The Telluride Times reported 99% of the union voted for the work stoppage Dec. 23.
Ski patrollers have been in wage and benefits negotiations with the company, also known as Telski, for months and have been working under an expired contract since September.
“This is about fixing a broken wage structure and creating a pathway forward for years to come for those who strive to make this job a career,” the union said on Instagram.
The privately owned company criticized the union vote in a statement on Christmas Eve.
“We are concerned that any organization, particularly one that exists to help people, would do something that will have such a devastating effect on our community,” Telski owner and real estate mogul Chuck Horning said.
The union is looking for base wages of at least $28, while the company is offering $24. Patrollers say their proposals are $112,000 apart during the first year of the three-year contract, and $65,000 apart overall.
Telski has so far offered most patrollers at least $3 more per hour, but the union says it wants “more money and understanding to be brought to the table.”
The parties’ latest bargaining session was Dec. 22, where the company again presented what it said was its “last, best and final” offer, which patrollers have twice rejected.
In 2024, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association also chose Dec. 27 as the date to begin its strike after contract negotiations stalled with Vail Resorts, which owns Park City Mountain.
Park City patrollers claimed victory after a 13-day work stoppage that resulted in increased base wages.
With patrollers on the picket line, Park City Mountain stayed open with reduced terrain and other operational impacts during the busy post-Christmas season.
The Telluride and Park City unions have expressed support for one another, but Telluride’s union president previously told KPCW that patrollers there are in a different situation because Telluride isn’t publicly traded.
